Marion County Public Works is actively participating in the recovery of threatened steelhead and Chinook salmon through a number of projects designed to protect aquatic habitat. Marion County is working to increase the quality and availability of fish habitat through restoration projects and by making all county road culverts passable by all fish species. In addition, Public Works is assessing the impact that each of its activities has on salmon habitat and developing a Best Management Practices Guide to minimize any adverse impacts.

The decline of Pacific salmon populations has resulted in the listing of four evolutionary significant units (ESUs) in Marion County as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) identified the Upper Willamette and Lower Columbia Spring Chinook Salmon and the Upper Willamette Winter Steelhead as threatened March 19, 1999. The Lower Columbia Winter Steelhead was previously declared threatened March 19, 1998. On July 10, 2000, final 4(d) rules were published to explain what actions are considered "take" of the listed ESUs.

The purpose of the Marion County Salmon Recovery Plan is to enhance the recovery of native salmon and steelhead runs in Marion County, while maintaining a safe and efficient transportation system.

The objectives include: establishing a set of Best Management Practices (BMPs) to minimize the impacts of MCPW activities to salmon and steelhead runs, to train MCPW personnel on these BMPs, to identify and prioritize capital improvement projects that will help restore native salmon and steelhead habitat within the County, and to ensure that MCPW complies with the 4 (d) rules published by NMFS, prohibiting take of listed salmon and steelhead securing a programmatic limitation under Limit 10: Routine Road Maintenance.